Color striping device

ABSTRACT

A device for feeding a strand of wire or other substance past color applicators and for rotatively applying color in strips as the strand is fed and utilizing the driving mechanism which advances the strand to rotate to color applying mechanism.

1 United States Patent 721 lnventdr William w. Scbtt [56] References cm3206 Plantation Read, Raleigh, N.C. 27609 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 pp732,452 2,581,180 1/1952 Entwistle m1 ..(118/W&C DIG) 1 PM May 2,610,6079/1952 Isenberg 118/412 [451 Patented Jan-1 2,756,718 7/1956 Stone8151.... 11s/42ox 2,836,146 5/1958 Weber 118/234X 3,118,790 1/ 1964Gonsa1ves., 118/234X STR-l Primary Examiner-John P. McIntosh [54] 52.2%:m Attorneys-A. Yates Dowell and A. Yates Dowell, Jr. 1 52 us. 01118/221,

8/234 ABSTRACT: A devlce for feeding a strand of wire or other 511nt.C1. B05c1/06 substapce 11 color pp and for g f y pp!y s [50] FieldofSearch 118/234, color In p as the strand 1s fed and uhhzmg the drlvmg(Wire and Cord Digest), 412, 211, 411, 420, 325; me chanism whichadvances the strand to rotate to color ap- 101/172; 1 18/221 p ymechamsm- PATENIEU JAN 1 2 ml sum 1 0F 2 "Q l" af fl 1 My 7 I I 7 i5 2am3 I) W I .27 35 I! 'M r l1 if t 4 33% Him t n I 55;

I\\\ \kv i I INVENTOR- 1 Z4 M ff/AZ/AM/KJZ'OTT Will T4? y COLOR STRIPINGDEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Theinvention is in the field of marking where it is desirable to identifyindividual wires or strands by color in order that a number of circuitscan be produced and maintained.

2. Background of the Prior Art Heretofore color coding or stripingdevices have been expensive, complicated, time consuming, and requiredparticular skill in the use and maintenance of the same, and were beyondthe reach of the smaller user or operator.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION which a wire or strand is advancedpast a particular location where color carrying mechanism is rotatablymounted and of a construction to apply a helical stripe of one or morecolors to the exterior of wires or strands for identification purposes.

Other objectsa'nd advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is atop plan view illustratingone application of the invention;

FIG. 2, a side elevation;

FIG. 3, a front elevation;

FIG. 4, a vertical section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, a fragmentary detail perspective of a segment of wire or strandstriped;

FIG. 6, a plan view of a modified form;

FIG. 7, a front elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8, a side elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9, a rear elevation thereof; and

FIG. 10, a modification with three color stripe containers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Apparatus for applying ahelical color strip or coding to an electrical conductor wire, or astrand of the same or other substance, in accordance with the movementthereof and of the wire or strand. This apparatus includes a base orplatform 10, on which is mounted an auxiliary base or platform 11,carried by supports 12'. Upon the auxiliary base or platform 11 thereare adjustably mounted a series of stub shafts l2, l3 and 14 on whichare carried supports or guide rollers 15, 16 and 17. About these guiderollers a conductor wire or strand 18 to be striped or coded is woundand in order to maintain desired tension thereon an adjustable tensionmember 19 is mounted by means ofa pin 20 movable in a slot 21.

The conductor wire or strand 18 is looped around rollers l5, l6 and I7,and then around a grooved hub 22 from whence it is extruded centrallythrough a color carrying wheel or disc 23. The grooved hub 22 is mountedin a pillow block or bearing 24, on the auxiliary platform 11, and theconductor wire or strand encircles the grooved hub 22 and is extendedthrough an axial or central opening in, the disc 23 from which the wireor strand passes about a winding spool or other retaining clips 27secured by, fasteners tozthe discf 23. The color tubes 26, which are ofconventional character and can be purchased on the open market, includewicks or other color applicators 28 which are intended to be maintainedin contact with the wire' or strand 18 as it is drawn through thecentral opening 25 of the disc 23. In order to insure that this resultis accomplished a backup plate 29 is provided adjustable relative to thedisc 23 by means of a screw 30' located in a slot 31. The front end ofthe backup plate is of material that will not scratch or mar the wire orstrand.

When used in the manner described the'rotation of the disc or wheel 23will cause the color tubes to be repeatedly inverted and insure coloringmatter reaching the wicks or applicators, thus applying the stripe 18'to the strand of wire or other substance.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 9, a somewhat simplerstructure is disclosed. This includes the wire or strand 18 fed around agrooved pulley 33 fixed to a shaft 34, supported by bearings 35 carriedby brackets 36 on the base 37. The wire or strand 18 passes through anopening 38 in the guide bearing 39 of the color carrying disc 40 sup Thecolor tube carrying disc is rotated by means of a drive wheel 42adjustably secured along the shaft 34 by means of a setscrew 43. Thedrive wheel 42- preferably is provided with a resilient frictionalperipheral surface-44 for maintaining a positive connection with thecolor tube carrying disc 40, and this drive wheel 42 may be adjustedlengthwise along the shaft 34, in a cutout opening 37, towards and fromthe center of the disc 40 for driving or rotating the disc at varyingspeeds. This varying of the speed of rotation of the color tube carryingdisc 40 from the center of the drive wheel 42 serves to vary the spacingof the striping 18' about the wire or strand 18.

In the operation of the device tension is applied and maintained on theconductor wire or strand as it is pulled through the mechanism in orderto insure a positive drive and uniformity of the striping. This tensionis exerted on the wire or strand through the entire mechanismby thewinding of the wire or strand after it has passed'through the device,and such tension of the wire or strand is accomplished by winding thewire or strand on a spool of conventional character (not shown).

I It will be apparent from the foregoing that while two color tubes areillustrated, one or more may be employed, and in FIG. 10 a supportingdisc 46 is provided with three equally spaced retaining clips 27 about ahub 47 having three slots 48 and receiving the wicks 28 in properalignment and in contact with the wire or strand 18.

It will be apparent that by reversing the winding of the wire or strandabout the drive pulley, the color tube carrying disc can be made torevolve in the reverse direction and apply the color striping in thereverse winding.

Iclaim: 5

1. Apparatus for applying striping about an elongated flexible member tofacilitate identification, said apparatus comprising a base, arelatively thin disc rotatably mounted on said base, said disc having acentral aperture through which said elongated member is adapted to bedrawn, color applying means removably mounted on one surface of saiddisc, said color applying means having applicator means positionedcontiguous to the aperture for engagement with'the elongated member,driving means located adjacent the other surface of said disc andoperatively connected thereto, said driving means including pulley meansmounted substantially in line with the aperture of said disc andengageable with said elongated member, said pulley being fixed on ashaft the axis of which is substantially transverse to the axis of saiddisc, and a drive wheel mounted on said shaft and engaging the othersurjustably mounted on said shaft so that the disc can be operated atvarying speeds.

1. Apparatus for applying striping about an elongated flexible member tofacilitate identification, said apparatus comprising a base, arelatively thin disc rotatably moUnted on said base, said disc having acentral aperture through which said elongated member is adapted to bedrawn, color applying means removably mounted on one surface of saiddisc, said color applying means having applicator means positionedcontiguous to the aperture for engagement with the elongated member,driving means located adjacent the other surface of said disc andoperatively connected thereto, said driving means including pulley meansmounted substantially in line with the aperture of said disc andengageable with said elongated member, said pulley being fixed on ashaft the axis of which is substantially transverse to the axis of saiddisc, and a drive wheel mounted on said shaft and engaging the othersurface of said disc for producing rotation of the disc as the elongatedmember is drawn through the aperture.
 2. The structure of claim 1 inwhich the drive wheel is adjustably mounted on said shaft so that thedisc can be operated at varying speeds.